Earlier in the year, I wrote about a radio program/podcast called Yale Cancer Answers, which did an episode on its Integrative Medicine program. Integrative or Complementary Medicine involves practices that help traditional oncology practices (as opposed to replacing them). So, for example, while a patient might have chemotherapy, the Integrative Medicine practice might also suggest CBD for nausea, or yoga for pain. The idea is to rely on standard medical practice, but to consider ways to make it better that don't necessarily involve taking more drugs.
A couple of weeks ago, the podcast did another episode with the Yale Integrative Medicine expert, Dr. Gary Soffer. He is a specialist in pediatric allergies and immunology,. but also runs Yale's Integrative Medicine office. You can listen to the podcast episode here. I've been waiting to write about it until they posted the written transcript, which you can find here.
This episode is called "Dealing with Cancer During Covid-19," which is a little more specific than just a general discussion of Integrative Medicine. I'll leave it up to you to listen to (or read) the whole thing (the podcast lasts about 30 minutes), but I'll comment on a few things.
First, a lot of the discussion with Dr. Soffer focuses on the anxiety that so many of us are feeling during the Covid pandemic. I'm certainly feeling it myself. Dr. Soffer talks about some mindfulness and meditation practices that are really helpful to lots of people in overcoming anxiety. Such practices, unlike some other methods, are non-invasive and safe. They're not going to hurt you.
But, as he recognizes, they're also hard to do, at least for some people. Maybe meditation won't be helpful, but perhaps, as he suggests, a short walk without a cell phone can be a good mindfulness practice -- just shutting off the outside world and being focused for a short time. (Here in Connecticut where I live, the weather is beautifully cool, and the leaves are starting to change colors. Lots to focus on besides Covid.)
I'll also admit, though, that I am lousy at meditation. I just can't turn off my brain. At night, I fall asleep almost instantly (which makes my wife very angry). But then, once I wake up, no matter how early, my brain kicks in again, and that's it -- I'm awake. So shutting it down during meditation just doesn't work for me. (Dr. Soffer says no one is really good at it, which is why it's called "practicing meditation" -- always trying to get a little bit better at it.)
So while I'm not going to use meditation to get past my anxiety, I have found that I can go in almost the opposite direction -- turning to science. During the early spring, when Covid was really bad where I live, and we knew so little about it, I was also dealing with what turned out to be bad spring allergies. Chest congestion, a little breathing trouble, etc. overlaps with some Covid symptoms. I was tested, and it was negative. So I turned to small instruments to help me -- I'd take my temperature almost every day. No fever, no Covid. I have a finger-tip pulse meter and blood oxygen monitor. Every time 99% or 98% blood oxygen. I'm good. No breathing issues and no fever must mean no Covid. It really lessened my anxiety, much more than meditation would have done.
And that's Dr. Soffer's point -- Integrative Medicine techniques don't work for everyone. We find ways to cope that make the most sense for us, whether we're coping with anxiety, pain, nausea, or any other symptoms that come with being cancer patients, physical or mental. I really liked his brief discussion of how cultural background can affect our approach to Integrative Medicine. I've had readers from over 80 countries over the years. I am very aware that my perspective on cancer is very Western, and I recognize that readers might approach all of this very differently from me. I hope we're all able to find what we need.
The podcast is 30 minutes well spent. Maybe you'll find something in there to make you feel a little better about things.
No comments:
Post a Comment